Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1522032
ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY First, let's look at a bit of vocabulary. These are terms everyone who takes responsibility for a clean workspace should know. Reservoir—A reservoir for infection is an animal or environment in which pathogens can stay alive, mature, replicate, and evolve until they have access to a new host. Mosquitoes are reservoirs for the virus that causes dengue fever. Deer ticks are reservoirs for the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The ticks and mosquitoes are unaffected, but the humans they bite are susceptible hosts and can become extremely ill. Reservoirs can also be environments—incorrectly canned food can be a reservoir for botulism and a poorly cleaned windowsill can be a reservoir for fungi. Host—A host is a target organism for infection. When it is invaded, a host develops signs and symptoms. This is what differentiates hosts from reservoirs. Humans are the only known hosts for varicella zoster virus, the causative agent of chickenpox and shingles. Fomite—A fomite is an inanimate object where pathogens may linger until they gain access to a new host. A hot stone contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus (commonly known as staph) is an example of a possible fomite. A massage table, or even a bottle of lubricant that is not cleaned between sessions, could be a fomite, allowing the transfer of pathogens from one client to another. A B M P m e m b e r s ea r n F R E E C E h o u r s by rea d i n g t h i s i s s u e ! 67 Vector—A vector is a living transmitter of disease- causing microorganisms from one host to another. The vector may be a reservoir, like the ticks that cause Lyme disease, or it may be another host that also has signs and symptoms. If a human picks up ringworm from a kitten, the kitten is a vector for the fungus. Portal of entry—While some pathogens can set up an infection on intact skin (e.g., the fungi that cause ringworm), other pathogens require a breach in the skin to gain entry, like having an infected hangnail or access to mucus membranes via the eyes, nose, and mouth. These access points are portals of entry. The blisters that form between the toes of a person with athlete's foot are excellent portals of entry for more serious infectious agents. MODES OF TRANSMISSION Now that we have this vocabulary, let's talk about modes of transmission. Airborne Transmission Airborne pathogens are typically expelled in tiny, aerosolized droplets that are so small they can f loat on dust particles in the air. They can be spread directly from one infected person to another by way of mucus membranes, when Person A sneezes and Person B, who is standing close by, inhales. But they can also be spread indirectly, as when Person A sneezes and Person B enters How does a "cootie" get f rom one host to another? That's a key question in infection control, and it has a lot of influence on the choices massage therapists must make about hygienic practices. Pathogens, which can include bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, can travel f rom one location to another in a variety of ways; these are called modes of transmission. The four avenues relevant for massage therapy practice are airborne transmission, direct contact, droplet transmission, and indirect contact—but there are distinctions within these. By Ruth Werner